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5. Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes

Helsinki, 17 March 1992

 

Entry into force: 6 October 1996, in accordance with article 26 (1).
Registration: 6 October 1996, No. 33207.
Status: Signatories: 26 ,Parties: 36.
Text: United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1936, p. 269. 

Note: The Convention was adopted by the Senior Advisers to the Economic Commission for Europe Governments on Environmental and Water Problems at their Resumed Fifth Session held at Helsinki from 17 to 18 March 1992. The Convention was opened for signature at Helsinki from 17 to 18 March 1992 and was open for signature at United Nations Headquarters in New York until 18 September 1992.

 

 

PARTICIPANTS

Participant  Signature  Ratification, Accession (a), Acceptance (A), Approval (AA) 
Albania  18 Mar 1992  5 Jan 1994 
Austria  18 Mar 1992  25 Jul 1996 
Azerbaijan    3 Aug 2000 a 
Belarus    29 May 2003 a 
Belgium  18 Mar 1992  8 Nov 2000 
Bulgaria  18 Mar 1992  28 Oct 2003 
Croatia    8 Jul 1996 a 
Czech Republic    12 Jun 2000 a 
Denmark1  18 Mar 1992  28 May 1997 AA 
Estonia  18 Mar 1992  16 Jun 1995 
European Community  18 Mar 1992  14 Sep 1995 AA 
Finland  18 Mar 1992  21 Feb 1996 A 
France4  18 Mar 1992  30 Jun 1998 AA 
Germany  18 Mar 1992  30 Jan 1995 
Greece  18 Mar 1992  6 Sep 1996 
Hungary  18 Mar 1992  2 Sep 1994 AA 
Italy  18 Mar 1992  23 May 1996 
Kazakhstan    11 Jan 2001 a 
Latvia  18 Mar 1992  10 Dec 1996 
Liechtenstein    19 Nov 1997 a 
Lithuania  18 Mar 1992  28 Apr 2000 
Luxembourg  20 May 1992  7 Jun 1994 
Moldova    4 Jan 1994 a 
Netherlands3  18 Mar 1992  14 Mar 1995 A 
Norway  18 Sep 1992  1 Apr 1993 AA 
Poland  18 Mar 1992  15 Mar 2000 
Portugal4  9 Jun 1992  9 Dec 1994 
Romania  18 Mar 1992  31 May 1995 
Russian Federation  18 Mar 1992  2 Nov 1993 A 
Slovakia    7 Jul 1999 a 
Slovenia    13 Apr 1999 a 
Spain  18 Mar 1992  16 Feb 2000 
Sweden  18 Mar 1992  5 Aug 1993 
Switzerland  18 Mar 1992  23 May 1995 
Ukraine    8 Oct 1999 a 
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland  18 Mar 1992   
Uzbekistan    4 Sep 2007 a 
 

 

DECLARATIONS

Declarations and Reservations

(Unless otherwise indicated, the declarations and reservations were made

upon ratification, accession, acceptance or approval.)

Austria

Declaration:

"The Republic of Austria declares in accordance with article 22 paragraph 2 of the Convention, that it accepts both of the means of dispute settlement mentioned in this paragraph as compulsory in relation to any Party accepting an obligation concerning one or both these means of dispute settlement."

France4

3 January 1999

Declaration:

The Government of the French Republic, in approving the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, declares that reference to the concept of reasonable and equitable use of transboundary waters does not constitute recognition of a principle of customary law, but illustrates a principle of cooperation between Parties to the Convention; the scope of such cooperation is specified in agreements, to which the Convention between States bordering the same transboundary waters - such agreements being concluded on the basis of equality and reciprocity.

Germany

Declaration made upon signature and confirmed upon ratification:

"The Federal Republic of Germany, in order to protect information related to personal data according to its national law, reserves the right to supply personal data only under the condition that the part receiving such protected information shall respect the confidentiality of the information received and the conditions under which it is supplied, and shall only use that information for the purposes for which it was supplied".

Liechtenstein

Declaration:

[Same declaration, identical in essence, mutatis mutandis, as the one made under Austria.]

Lithuania

Declaration:

"The Republic of Lithuania declares that, for a dispute not resolved in accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 22 it accepts the means of dispute settlement provided in paragraph 2 (b) of Article 22 of the said Convention."

Netherlands

Declaration made upon signature and confirmed upon acceptance:

"The Kingdom of the Netherlands accepts for a dispute not resolved in accordance with paragraph 1 of article 22 of the Convention both the following means of dispute settlement as compulsory in relation to any Party accepting the same obligation:

(a) Submission of the dispute to the International Court of Justice;

(b) Arbitration in accordance with the procedure set out in annex IV."

Spain

Reservation:

In relation to article 3, paragraph 1 (c), the Spanish State takes it that the limits for waste-water discharges stated in permits shall guarantee, in any case, respect for the water-quality criteria of the receiving environment, based on the best available technologies and the technical features of the affected installation, its geographical site and local environmental conditions.

 

 

NOTES

1. With reservation of application to the Faroe Islands and Greenland.

2. For the Kingdom in Europe.

3. On 28 June 1999, the Government of Portugal informed the Secretary-General the the Convention would also apply to Macau.

4. On 14 August 1998, the Government of France made a declaration with respect to the above Convention. The said declaration was communicated to all Contracting States by a depositary notification. Within a period of 90 days from the date of the depositary notification (i.e. 5 October 1998), none of the Contracting States to the Convention notified the Secretary-General of an objection. Consequently, the declaration is deemed to have been accepted for deposit on 3 January 1999.